Richard D. Berlin
Center for Cell Analysis & Modeling

CCAM Faculty

Raquell Holmes

Assistant Professor of Cell Biology

Director of Outreach, Recruitment, & Retention, R. D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling

Contact Information

Dr. Raquell Holmes
University of Connecticut Health Center
Center for Cell Analysis & Modeling
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030-6406
Phone: 860-679-7519
Fax: 860- 679-1039
rholmes@uchc.edu

Research Interests

Computational Cell Biology is the increasingly recognized area of research that uses computational approaches to address basic research questions regarding cellular processes. This emerging field is in need of teaching materials that can be used by educators to introduce new concepts and skills to undergraduate biology students.

My interests focus on developing mechanisms by which cellular, developmental biologists can adopt, adapt and exploit computational resources to advance their understanding of their biological system of interest. I focus on the utilization of publicly available simulation tools such as Virtual Cell to understand biological systems at the cellular level. I conduct workshops, short courses and create training materials to help researchers, educators and students develop the understanding and skills necessary to use modeling, simulation and visualization tools. Educational resources I have developed and contribute to include: Computational Cell Biology: Modeling for the Cell Biologist, CCAM Educational Resources, and the CompCellBio web.

Cultural approaches to learning and human development inform all of my work. I have particular focus on performance, improvisational discourse and improvisational theater as ways for scientists to create developmental, collaborative environments. The National Science Foundation funded Improvisational Theater for Computing Scientists is a pilot project designed to evaluate use of the performance art of improvisation to develop the creative capacity of individuals and groups in science education and research in the emerging field of computational biology. Performers in improvisational theatre are explicitly trained to develop exploratory environments and their ability for experimentation and risk taking. Can training in improvisational theatre provide scientists and science students with the ability to generate new inquiry spaces for their research?

Outreach, Recruitment, and Retention

I produce and participate in a number of events throughout the computational science community to increase awareness about this emerging field and to encourage involvement by individuals from groups that otherwise have been traditionally underrepresented in the computational biology field. The Broader Engagement Program of SC10, the New England Undergraduate Computing Symposium (NEUCS) and Tapia Symposium Celebration of Diversity in Computing are examples of these national events.